Coir Matting

Coir Matting is natural coconut-coir fiber tufted onto a solid vinyl base — the original boot-scraping fiber, set on a backing that keeps what it catches off your floor. The stiff coir brushes grit and moisture off shoes at the door, while the vinyl base seals the underside so nothing leaks through to the floor below. It cuts cleanly to fit a recessed well or a vestibule.

What Coir Matting Does Before Grit Reaches the Floor

Coir has scraped boots clean for well over a century, and the reason is the fiber: stiff, dense, and naturally good at brushing grit and soaking up moisture off shoes. ISSA research shows the entrance is where most of a building's dirt arrives, so a mat that pulls it off early keeps it from grinding across the floor inside. The vinyl base does the other half of the job — it holds the dirt and water on the mat instead of letting it leak through to the floor underneath.

Why Coir on a Vinyl Base, and Why This One

The mat is natural coconut coir tufted into a heavy vinyl base, about five-eighths of an inch thick overall. The coir is the working surface: a tough natural fiber that brushes and holds dirt and moisture the way a synthetic mat cannot quite match. It is the fiber people picture at a welcoming front door, and it has been doing the job since coco mats first came to the States in the 1800s.

The vinyl base is what sets this apart from a plain woven coco mat. A woven-back mat lets water seep straight through to the floor; this one seals the underside, so the floor stays protected and dry beneath it. Because the fibers are locked into that base, the mat can be cut to any shape without unraveling — which is what makes it work in a recessed well.

Where It Belongs, and What It Is Not

Coir Matting is at its best in covered, contained spots — vestibules, lobbies, and recessed entrance wells at commercial and residential doors. It comes in six-foot-wide rolls cut to size, and for a large recess the pieces can be cut and fused so the seam barely shows. It sits in our range of moisture-control entrance matting as the natural-fiber option that traps grit and water on a sealed base.

What it is not is a fully-exposed outdoor mat or a drain-through grid. Coir is a natural fiber, so constant sun and rain wear it faster than a synthetic — it lasts far longer under cover. And the vinyl base means water does not drain through it; it holds moisture on top, so where a spot needs water to run away, an open grid mat is the right tool instead.

Three Things to Check Before You Spec It

First, check how exposed the spot is. Under a portico, in a vestibule, or recessed at a covered entrance, coir holds up well and looks the part. In an open doorway that takes direct sun and driving rain, it will wear and fade faster than a rubber or synthetic mat — so save coir for the sheltered entries and use something weatherproof where the elements hit.

Second, measure the opening, especially a recess. The matting comes in six-foot-wide rolls cut to your length, and custom shapes are workable because the fibers will not unravel at a cut edge. For a recess wider than a single piece, sections are cut and fused together so the joint is hard to spot. Send the well's dimensions and we will plan the layout.

Third, pick the color and expect a little shedding at first. It comes in natural, chocolate brown, and maroon, with printed designs available if you want a pattern. Like all coir, a new mat sheds some loose fiber for the first week or two — that is normal and settles down with a few vacuumings, not a defect.

Why Mats Inc.

We have specified entrance matting since 1964, and coir is a material we know how to place. We will match the thickness and color to the entrance, cut the roll to your recess, and fuse the seams so a large well reads as one clean mat — then point you to a weatherproof option instead if the spot is too exposed for natural fiber. Send the dimensions and we will lay it out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Coir Matting made of?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It is natural coconut-coir fiber tufted onto a heavy vinyl base, about five-eighths of an inch thick overall. Coir is the stiff, dense fiber from coconut husks — the classic boot-scraping material — and here it is locked into a solid vinyl backing rather than a woven one. That sealed base is the key difference from a plain woven coco mat: water and grit stay on the mat instead of leaking through to the floor underneath.

How long does coir last, and can it go outside?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Coir is tough and scrapes well, but it is a natural fiber, so where it lives matters. Under cover — a vestibule, a portico, a recessed entry — it holds up and keeps its look for a good while. In a fully-exposed doorway taking direct sun and rain, it wears and fades faster than a synthetic or rubber mat, so those spots are better served by a weatherproof option. One normal quirk: a new coir mat sheds loose fiber for a week or two before it settles, which a few vacuumings clear up.

Can it fit a recessed mat well?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Yes — that is one of its strengths. The matting comes in six-foot-wide rolls and cuts cleanly to any shape without unraveling, because the fibers are anchored into the vinyl base. For a recess wider than a single piece, sections are cut and fused together so the joining line is hard to see, and the whole thing sits down in the well at the right height. Send the recess dimensions and we will plan the cut.

What colors does it come in?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Three: natural, chocolate brown, and maroon. The natural tone is the warm, golden coir look most people picture at a front door, while the brown and maroon read a little richer and more finished. All three suit a traditional or hospitality entrance where you want the doorway to feel welcoming rather than industrial — coir has a warmth that synthetic mats do not quite have.

Can we get a custom size, shape, or a printed design?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Yes to all three. Because it is cut from wide rolls and the cut edges hold without unraveling, custom sizes and shapes are straightforward — useful for an odd-shaped recess or a wide entrance. Printed designs are also available if you want a pattern or motif on the coir rather than a plain field. Send your dimensions and what you have in mind, and we will confirm what works.

Does it look right at a nicer entrance?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

It does, in the right setting. Coir reads natural and classic — the brushy texture and warm tone are exactly what people associate with a welcoming, well-kept doorway, which is why it suits hospitality, retail, and residential entries. It is less the look for a sleek modern lobby, where a finished synthetic or grid mat fits better, but for a traditional or warm entrance under cover, coir looks the part.

By Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO, Mats Inc.